Oh, we don't take that!

Marks & Spencer were on the carpet yesterday on breakfast TV for using the biggest proportion of non-recyclable packaging. Whilst they and the other supermarkets obviously do bear some responsibility in this regard, I think the major problem is with the local authorities, who have no consistent or coherent policy on what can be recycled. Here in the West Midlands for example, we have several Metropolitan Councils, all of whom have their own slightly different rules regarding recycling - some will accept cardboard, others not. Some will accept plastic, others not, and so on. About the only things you can guarantee they will all accept are newspapers and glass. I don't think you can ask supermarkets to use more recyclable packaging until there is general agreement among local authorities as to just what is recyclable.